Late Nights
by Dreaming of dance
Summary: At the end of the day he's the boss whether she likes it or not ( I keep going back and forth with the rating)
1. Quiver

Hello there :) for those of you who haven't read my other story j&c from a to z, this mini series is based off of one of the one shots from that. I got a random gust of inspiration after writing it and wanted to elaborate on the idea. The first chapter is the same one from the other story, chapter two is new :) The story takes place in an alternate universe, you'll see what I mean after reading. The rating might change because I have already wrote more chapters and I think the language is getting too racy, so we'll see. Enjoy & review :)

I don't own JN or any of their characters

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><p>Although she had been diligently going over tons of paperwork, which <em>he <em>was making her do, she still heard the door to her office close. He had been especially tough on her lately, making her stay late almost every night this week. She was sure that if it wasn't for the fact that she could lose her job she would tell him to go to fuck himself and walk out; not that she hadn't basically come close to saying that. She knew he couldn't fire her even if he wanted to, she was the best assistant he had ever had, and no one would deal with his crap the way she would.

"It's called knocking, you should try it sometime." She was still looking down and filling out paper work, yet she knew for a fact it was him.

"I'm the boss, I don't have to knock and-"

"Yes, you're in charge and you won't let me forget it..." then she added under her breath "...although I do most of the work anyway."

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing." She said innocently. She had only known him and been working there for a few months, but somehow they acted as if they had known each other long enough to bicker all the time.

"So what brings you here?" Oh how much she wanted to wipe that devious smirk off of his face. Then he dropped another stack of papers on her desk, with a thud. She glanced at her new burden then up at him with her intense green eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I figured you were almost done with those papers, since you claim to be so efficient, so I thought you'd have time for these." What a jackass.

"Are you trying to kill me? It's already near to midnight. I'm you're assistant not you're slave."

"Assistant, slave, same difference."

"Just because your too god damn lazy to do this yourself..."

"I wouldn't use that tone with someone who controls whether you have a job or not." She stood up in her chair, placing her hands firmly on her desk and leaned over so that she was about a foot away from his face.

"You wouldn't dare." He didn't hesitate to stare her down as well.

"Why not?"

"Because no one else will do your dirty work for you..." She leaned in even closer, "and just between you and me... I know you get some sort of pleasure out of causing me pain."

"What are you implying _Cynthia_?"

"What ever you want _James_." His nose brushed against her cheek before she felt his breath on her ear, her eyes reflexively closed at the feeling.

"Get back to work." When she opened her eyes she was the only one in the room again. She sighed, not knowing if it was from disappointment, or from relief that he was gone now that her lip was lightly shaking.


	2. Coffee

One day she was going to figure out who invented the blinds on windows, and thank them gratefully. The minute she was walked into her office at the ungodly our of seven am she was blinded by the sun that was just starting to settle in the sky. Today was going to be miserable, she could already tell. Sitting down at her desk and kicking off her heels she took a moment to close her eyes and take a deep breath before getting started for the day. Her peaceful moment was interrupted by the loud blaring of her office phone ringing, she grunted before answering the phone, trying her hardest to put on a happy voice.

Once again it was so late that even the traffic in the city slowed outside of the tall building. She was so tired that the words on the document on the computer screen that she was typing up were starting to become a little fuzzy, not that he would care how exhausted she was. Her job wasn't to be tired, it was to do whatever the hell he asked her too. She had to admit though, she hadn't felt she looked this horrible in a while. Her hair was messy and not in its usual pony tail or up do, but flowing down her back and shoulders. Instead of a crisp button up shirt, she opted for a navy blue v neck sweater that fit her more comfortably. Even her make up was smudged from the amount of times she rubbed at her tired eyes. Overall, she didn't look like her usual well put together self.

"Are you almost done?" Great, just what she needed.

"What do you think?" Venom dripping in every word.

"Looks like someone is a little cranky." She sarcastically chuckled

"Oh you know, it's not like my boss keeps me here until the crack of dawn and then expects me to be back only a few hours later. Which in result causes me to act like a bitch and look like I'm hungover; so what is it that you want?"

"Nothing, I got you coffee." She raised an eyebrow at the steaming cup of coffee that was now on her desk but didn't respond. He was about to exit out the door but stopped before looking back to her.

"By the way, you make hangovers look sexy." He just made it out the door before the styrofoam cup of coffee hit the wall where he had been.


	3. Distraction

Happy Easter!( If you celebrate) I've been having fun writing this fanfic, and just wanted to let it be known that this fanfic is really just for the fun of the situation. So here is chapter three, and thank you to MysticLady3 for becoming my beta reader :)

Same disclaimer as always and warning for minor sexual innuendo.

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><p>"You better not have gotten these papers wet. You're dripping water everywhere." Indeed she was. She was soaked from head to toe thanks to his stupid requests. How was it possible that the fax machine had run out of ink, and instead of allowing her to call it a night, he made her run out to the nearest store to get ink; in the pouring rain? She shoved the papers in his hands, muttering something he couldn't decipher under her breath.<p>

"Thanks. You're free to go now." He said, as if he knew how much this was going to set her off.

"Are. You. Kidding. Me?"

"I thought you wanted to go home." His mocking was the last straw.

"You make me go out in the pouring rain to get a stupid ink cartridge, only to have me print one faxed message for you, then tell me I can leave! What the hell was so damn important about this one piece of paper that it couldn't wait until the morning! I'm pretty sure the company wouldn't have gone under if you waited a few hours!" She noticed that it looked like he wasn't paying attention to her.

"Are you even listening to me!" What was so damn interesting that he seemed to have not heard a word she said? She searched her brain as to why he was looking at her but not comprehending anything she was saying. Yeah, she was soaked and was wearing a white blouse. Now that she thought about it, it was kind of cold in here. Realization struck and her mouth dropped open. She crossed her arms over her chest, not embarrassed in any way, but livid.

"My eyes are up here jackass." That seemed to snap him out of it. She rolled her eyes and grabbed her jacket intentionally bumping into him on the way out of her office, leaving him there with a dopey smile on his face.


	4. Dirty

Here's chapter four, thoughts are in italics.

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><p>"How did you manage to get it to freeze anyway?"<p>

"It's your company's computer, you figure it out."

Her office computer was currently frozen, much to her horror. If it wasn't fixed she could possibly lose all of the data she had almost finished entering into it. He was leaning over the back of her chair tinkering with the keyboard on the computer, trying to get it to run again. She was trying not to notice that her back was against his chest, and he smelt like cologne. Not to mention it was putting naughty thoughts in her head that she had been pushing aside for months now. It also didn't help that once again, they were the only ones left on the floor. Her mind was seriously going on a rampage of all the situations that could occur. _Will hurt my back if we have sex on my desk? Not like I'd care if it did._ She shook her head. _What is wrong with me? _

"Are you okay?" He was still fixated on the computer, but must have felt when she had moved her head.

"Yeah I'm fine." When he went about his business she was back to her thoughts. While he was occupied with the computer she studied his face. He had on that expression he got was he was thinking hard, it made him look more attractive that usual. His deep blue eyes were so focused that she could stare at them all day. She noticed that stubble had started to grow on his face showing that he was in need of a shave soon. _I wonder what it would feel like as it brushed against my skin as he kissed his way down my body? _She smacked her hand against her forehead. What the hell had come over her?

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just annoyed, that's all,"_ Not for the reason you think though_. Since when had she not been able to control her thoughts? This was unacceptable; he was her boss. Yes, they sometimes had obvious ways of showing interest in each other, but she hadn't allowed herself to give into her thoughts about him._ Is it so bad that I want to know what it will feel like when his lips press against mine? _

Fate would have it that he resolved the problem at that moment and turned to her, jolting her out of her train of thought; but causing her to note that they had locked eyes. _If I just leaned forward..._ She turned away losing his gaze.

"I should be getting back to work if I plan on leaving here any time soon." She hoped she sounded like her normal sarcastic self. He nodded, moving away from her, without even a snarky remark. She let out a breath of air when he wasn't in her personal space anymore. She mentally cursed herself that she had allowed him to get to her and he wasn't even trying.


	5. Winning

"Why are there so many post-its on my desk, and why the heck are they all different colors? My desk looks like a freaking rainbow."

"You said that I should try to find new and creative ways to order you around."

"I was joking." Her face deadpanned.

"I thought you would find it funny."

"Hilarious."

"Well did you get it all done or what?"

"Yeah except this one." She said peeling a blue post-it off of her desk. It read: "Pick up my laundry at 5."

"Why not? I figured since you were out..."

"I'm not your maid."

"You're a woman, aren't you?" He smirked.

"So just because I'm a woman I'm supposed to get your laundry for you? What next, would you like me to make you a sandwich too?"

"That would be nice."

"Get out of my office."

"I own your office."

"If you leave right now, I'll pick up your laundry before the cleaners close at nine."

"Deal." As she heard the door close she rolled her eyes, sometimes she didn't have the energy to fight with him. There had been another post-it she hadn't mentioned that she was curious about. She picked up the pink post-it that had been mixed among the other twenty on her desk. This one read: "Wear that white blouse to work more often." Even men in their mid twenties were still immature perverts.


	6. Attack

I changed the rating to M because I think from this chapter on it is going to get progressively more provocative.

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><p>At last she could go to sleep. She had just snuggled her body under the comfort of her warm blankets. It had been a long day for her and she was exhausted. She was really starting to believe he liked torturing her, coming up with some assignment for her to do just when she was about to leave. But now she was in her apartment, her sore body slowly relaxing from the soft feel of her as she was about to drift off into sleep, her cell phone started to ring.<p>

"Argh, who on Earth could that be calling at this hour?" She grabbed her phone and violently hit the send button after she checked the caller ID.

"What do you want, it's one in the morning."

"It's an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?"

"One that I need you for."

"No."

"What do you mean "no"?"

"Whatever it is, I'm not doing. I am going to sleep."

"But it's really, really important."

"That's your strategy? 'It's really, really important'?"

"Yes, now get to the office now." Then he hung up on her.

"I swear if this isn't important..."

Fifteen minutes later she was standing inside his office, already angry that she had

gotten out of bed for this man.

"Alright I'm here now, what is it?" He looked up at her from the blue prints he had been

drawing up on his desk.

"Is that what you sleep in?" She had been so tired and pissed off that she literally just grabbed her keys and walked out of her apartment in her sleepwear without looking in a mirror. She had on a big t-shirt and a pair of slippers.

"You made me get out of bed in the middle of the night, and you expect me to dress up or something?"

"No, I actually like this outfit better than what you usually wear." He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Shut up. Now what is the emergency?"

"Which do you think sounds better: The Neutronic Rocket Engine or The Neutron Engine 3000?

"That's it?"

"Yeah well I have to present the prototype by next week so it needs a name sometime soon."

"That's it! You made me come over here, just to pick a stupid name for a stupid invention. This could have been done over the phone!"

"It's not stupid; it's a newly designed engine for space crafts that's going to be worth thousands of dollars."

"I'm. Going. To. Kill. You!" She was already launching herself at the chair he was sitting in. The force of her tackling him knocked the chair over, landing them both on the ground.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't punch you in the face?" He looked down her body and then back up again.

"Because you're sitting on top of your boss half naked." She noticed then that she was straddling his waist with her legs. Instead of startling her like he thought she would, she did the opposite. She bent over so that her body was pressed firmly against his. The shirt she had on didn't leave much to the imagination; he could feel every curve of her body. He was sure she wasn't wearing a bra and was more than aware that she wasn't wearing shorts either.

"The next time you call me at this hour, you better make it worth my time." The sultry edge she had to her tone left him speechless as she climbed off of him and strolled out of his office. He debated if calling her again in a few minutes would be too eager of him.


	7. Clumsy

"Ow that hurts!"

"You're acting like a little kid, sit still." Cindy was currently sitting on her desk while her boss was examining her forehead, where a bump was starting to swell up.

"How did you manage to do this again?"

"I told you already, I hit my head on the edge of the desk."

"Yeah I can see that, but people don't just get head injuries out of no where." She was already frustrated at herself, she really didn't need him making fun of her, which she was sure he would.

"Did you trip on something?"

"No..."

"Then how?"

"Who cares how I did it, this bump is huge!" She said reaching her hand up to her forehead but he swatted it away.

"Folllow my finger." He held his index finger out in front of and started moving it slowly from left to right.

"Why are you doing that?"

"I'm making sure you don't have a concussion. I can't have you not able to work."

"And I thought it was because you were concerned." She wasn't sure if he noted her sarcasm but she followed his finger nevertheless.

"I think you're okay, hold on a minute and don't move." He came back shortly with an ice pack. He put it on her injury and she hissed in pain.

"You are really being a baby about this."

"Well it really hurts." They remained silent for a time with him still holding the ice pack to her head. She wasn't sure how to feel about him taking care of her, she thought he would have told her to get over it and get back to work.

"I dropped a pen and when I bent over to get it I hit my head."

"That's clumsy of you." He chuckled at her confession.

"Yes I'm very aware.

"Pretty cute though." It almost didn't register in her mind what he had said.

"What?" Maybe she did have a concussion after all, because she was starting to think she was imagining things.

"Oh nothing."

"No, you said I was cute. I am not cute. I don't do cute."

"That's making it worse. The fact that you're arguing about it, in result only makes you look more cute." She bit her lip from cussing him out.

"That too." He continued. "When you bite on your lower lip. Usually when your thinking, or nervous, or confused. Occasionally when you're embarrassed." She hadn't even realized she doing it until he pointed it out.

"Do you spend all of your free time studying me or something?"

"Only when you're not looking." He joked.

"Well cut it out."

"If you're going give me attitude, then you can just take care of yourself."

"Fine." She said as she reached up and grabbed at the ice pack. He gave her the oddest look, but didn't protest at the strange turn of events. As he left her alone, she started to get angry at herself. Part of her wanted him to stay even though she was purposely trying to push him away. She just couldn't afford to get too close.

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><p>Sorry that it has been so long, I've been preoccupied with my other stories. This chapter was actually inspired by my self induced (accidental) concussion that I got last semester hah.<p> 


	8. Shift

Warning this one is short.

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><p>He really knew how to push her buttons, and it was starting to grate her nerves. It was odd that he hadn't stopped by her office to annoy her today. Then she thought, he always shows up at her office unannounced so she could do the same. She grabbed a folder that she was supposed to give to him at some point and set out on her mission.<p>

When she arrived at his door she knocked but no answer. She opened his door anyway knowing that it would be unlocked. He was on the phone nodding his head to whatever the person on the other end was saying. She raised an eyebrow when he held up one finger indicating for her to wait.

"It was nice talking to you too. All right, bye." She noted how though he sounded polite when he said it, he was still hesitant.

"Business deal?"

"Ex-fiancee."

"Oh..." She had almost forgotten that he'd been engaged. Now that she thought about it, they had broken up about a month after she started working for him. She never asked about it, but was always curious as to what had happened. From what she knew, prior to their break up they were supposedly really happy. Then again, he never seemed as if he was devastated from it, especially with all of the innuendos he had been throwing her way.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking."

He sighed and leaned back on his chair "I thought she was the girl of my dreams."

"And?" After an extended moment of silence, she decided the situation was starting to get awkward.

"Um...never mind, I just came by to drop this off." She forced a half smile as she set the folder on his desk and then walked out of his office.

He sighed at her exit. It's not that he had a problem with her asking, he had a problem with the answer and how easy it was now to admit it to himself. He picked up the folder she had dropped and unceremoniously flipped it open. Knowing that she was out of ear shot he said the answer he couldn't say to her face.

"And then I met you."


	9. Elevator

It was the looks that were driving him crazy. He was currently at the annual office party, which in the past hadn't been nearly as interesting as it was now. The woman that was currently the object of his every fantasy was sitting directly across the room from him at a bar stool. She was supposedly having a conversation with a co worker sitting next to her who seemed more than willing to say anything to get into her pants. The guy was oblivious to the fact that she was barely listening to him. He was merely her pawn anyway and Jimmy was very aware. From the start of the evening he knew she was trying to drive him insane.

First, Cindy had told him before hand that she wasn't going to come because she had "other plans". He had been disappointed but didn't show it, and let himself forget about seeing her there. Second, she had showed up after all and looked drop dead gorgeous wearing a short sexy red dress that hugged her in all the right places. Third, she kept on giving him these sultry looks from across the room. She was flirting with her eyes and not feeling ashamed at all.

As he drank a beer he secretly watched her sip a margarita. Ever so often she would look in his direction to see if he was paying attention, then turn away. With a manicured finger she wiped some salt off the rim of her glass and put it to her mouth, sucking on her finger tip. Her conversation partner put his hand on her thigh at the gesture, and Jimmy had had enough of her teasing him. He strode across the room until he was right in front of them and they both turned around.

"Hey boss, how are you doing?" The worker, who he knew as Robert, had asked him.

"Can I speak to my assistant?" Cindy gave him an annoyed look.

"Now?"

"Yes." Robert reluctantly stood up, not wanting to piss off his boss. Jimmy chose to stand so he was looming over her rather than take his place.

"How may I help you?"

"Cut the bullshit Vortex."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She sipped on her drink once more.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't." She gulped down the rest of her drink and stood up to walk away. Jimmy followed her to the lobby where she had already pushed the down button for the elevator.

"You can't just walk away from me."

"Watch me." The door to the elevator slid open and he entered after her wanting to get the last word.

"You're such a vixen. Don't try to act like you weren't flirting with me back there."

"Don't you mean flirting with Robert?"

"No, I know he was just your cover. I'm a genius remember? It's not that easy to fool me." Cindy walked over to where Jimmy was leaning against the elevator wall. The elevator dinged and the doors began to close.

"Trust me if I was flirting with you I would do it a little differently."

"How so?" She smiled devilishly and put her arms around his neck. He was skeptical but went along with it anyway and put his hands on her hips. The elevator began to descend.

"If I was trying to flirt with you I would do something like wear a short, tight dress to get your attention."

"Mhmm." He ran his hands up and down said dress.

"Then I would say something to get your pulse racing like, 'I'm not wearing any underwear.'"

"Are you?" She shrugged casually and he swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Then, if I really wanted to, I would kiss you." She leaned in closer to him and one of his hands came up around her back. He tilted his head down feeling the soft skin of her cheek against his. He noted that she smelled wonderful and that her lips were only a hair width away from his. There was a moment of hesitation, but they were alone, and no one would be there to witness it. Slowly their lips met, in a soft, simple kiss. It sparked an immediate connection between the two. Despite all the talk before, it was a shy kiss, hardly anything more than innocent. Another ding signaled that the elevator had stopped, and Cindy immediately pulled away, destroying their little escape from reality. What had just occurred sunk in and she moved away from him completely.

"This never happened." She said and walked out of the elevator as quickly as possible, leaving him there without another word..


	10. Caught

To say she was rushing would have been the understatement of the century. All day she had been avoiding any sort of interaction with her boss. After her stupid little lapse in judgement in that elevator she was enraged at herself. How could she give him such satisfaction as to kiss him? She was smarter than that. There was just something about him that made her want to let her guard down and keep it up all at the same time. Now he had the upper hand and would hold it over her. Needless to say, she was evading him as long as she could. Thus why she was breezing through paperwork trying to leave the office as soon as possible.

Cindy finished what she was doing with relief and stood up in the dark room. Yes, she had turned off the lights in hopes that he would think she had already left and had used the light on her cell phone to get her work done. Usually she didn't run away from anything, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

She made her way to her jacket and threw it on before grabbing her purse. Using her cell phone to light her way she opened the door that led to the darkened hallway. As far as she could see the place was deserted. She placed her cell phone in her bag, knowing she could maneuver through the building without it. She knew the place like the back of her hand. As quietly and as quickly as she could she walked down the hall. Just when she thought she was home free she felt her body ram into someone else's. It could only be one person.

"Fuck..."

"I knew it. You're avoiding me. What? Are we in high school?" She scoffed, she wasn't that immature.

"Listen. What happened the other day meant nothing."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because...because I wasn't in the right state of mind. I had been drinking." She said quickly. Even though it was dark and neither could see, he shook his head at her excuse.

"You weren't anywhere near drunk."

"So what? What does it even matter? It was a stupid mistake that will never happen again."

"You're such a pain in the ass."

"What do you care anyway? You made your point, okay? I caved. So what else do you want from me?"

"You think that's all this is about? Some game to see who can get the other to give in first?"

"Isn't that exactly what this is? To see who has more power over the other, when clearly we both know you ultimately get to decide whether I stay or go. That's it isn't it? You're the only one who can fire me so you think nothing is off limits. You treat me the way you do because you know I won't quit."

"And why won't you? You're over qualified for the job, so what is keeping you here? You can leave any time you want to." She was silent, she knew he had a point. There was something keeping her there, something other than the salary. He sighed.

"I treat you the way I do because I can't help myself when I'm around you. Not because I think I can do or say whatever I want. I thought from what happened in the elevator that you may have felt the same." Her heart was pounding as she was trying to comprehend the first part of that sentence.

"I can't. I can't feel that way about you."

"You can't or you don't?" She couldn't handle this right now. She thought the interactions that they had were solely based on who was more dominant, coupled with physical attraction towards each other. She had never fathomed he might of thought anything more.

"I..." He stepped closer to her, their bodies practically touching.

"If you don't then I'll stop. We will pretend none of this ever happened and will have a strictly professional relationship. All you have to do is say the word." She remained quiet and did the only thing she could think of. She stepped to the side and pushed passed him. She continued to walk away just as she had done in the elevator, this time without even speaking to him. When her footsteps were too far away to be heard, he felt his cell phone buzzing in his pocket. He reached into his pants and saw that he had a new text message.

_I can't._

He smirked after reading those two words that answered his question. Yes, she wasn't allowed to feel that way, but she did; and to him that was all that mattered.


	11. Plans

It's been forever since I have updated anything. I really don't mean to not update it's just honestly that I've had a lot of unexpected things pop up. I was dealing with a lot last year that landed me in intensive therapy, and then soon after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of my senior year of college. I've had so much on my plate that writing has sadly taken a back seat. I can't say that I'll be consistently updating now, I just felt the need to write something, and this story is one of the easier ones to write for. So I hope that those of you who still follow this story enjoy the update :)

I don't own squat.

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><p>The streets of the city felt so lonesome as she heard her heels clacking against the pavement. Cindy mulled over the text that she had just sent to James Neutron, head of Neutron Inc., her current boss and love interest- or was it just lust? She didn't know what exactly what she felt for him, and a big part of her didn't want to let herself figure it out. This was getting way more complicated than she already planned.<p>

Suddenly the blonde felt her phone vibrate in her hand. She assumed that it would be him. Calling her to gloat about the satisfaction that her message gave him, but when she looked at the phone she saw that it was a blocked number calling her. Tentatively she answered the phone and put it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Why hello Cynthia, how are you doing this fine evening?" She knew that voice, and it was one that she really didn't want to hear.

"I'm fine. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to ask you how you're new job was treating you?"

"It's going fine."

"Is it now? I haven't heard from you in weeks. I'm starting to think you haven't been being an efficient worker. If you know I mean."

"I've got it under control. I don't need you checking up on me."

"This is a very delicate matter Cynthia, which I am sure you are aware of. And I-"

" I know, I know. Just get off my case already."

"If I don't hear from you within the next two weeks then I am going to assume that you have failed and you know what that means."

Cindy audibly sighed. " Yes. I know. I have it under control."

"I'll be waiting. Have a nice night Cynthia."

"Bye...Styrch."

She hung up the phone and stared at it. She realized why now she didn't want to figure out what she felt for Neutron. Feeling something for him would make her real boss's plan fail.

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><p>So there's a bit of a plot now?<p>

~Dreaming of dance


	12. Losing

Cynthia Vortex covered her mouth as she yawned. She was completely exhausted due to the lack of sleep she had gotten the night before. After Eustace Strych, the bane of her existence, had called her last night she hadn't been able to get much sleep. She tossed and turned all night thinking about what he had said and how it conflicted with the new developments between her and Neutron. She was starting to wonder if she would be able to do what Strych expected of her. She let her eyes flutter closed, maybe she could sneak in a quick nap without anyone noticing. She registered the sound of Jimmy's voice outside the closed door of her office. As she was drifting into a peaceful dreamland another voice that she had never heard before came into earshot.

"Oh you're so funny!" It was clearly a woman's voice that was full of pep and energy. Cindy's eyes snapped open.

" And handsome as well..." Cindy had barely heard the hushed tone of this peppy bitch's sentence when she got out of her chair and walked over to her office door. She cracked it open enough so that she could see what was going on.

Sitting at cubicle was a redheaded woman giggling and smiling brightly at James. He had leaned in closer to her and had quieted his voice to the point where Cindy couldn't make out what they were anymore. Whatever it was, it had the redhead grinning from ear to ear. Finally he turned to walk away to return to his own office, but not without sending a quick glance to office door marked "Cynthia Vortex". For a brief moment blue eyes met green and one of those blue eyes closed in a wink. Cynthia's brows furrowed and mouth slightly dropped open. He knew she was listening! As he turned his back and continued watching she felt her fury rising.

"Who the hell is that?" Cindy said as she stormed into Jimmy's office. She looked pissed which brought a smile to his face.

"Who are you talking about?" He replied innocently.

"Oh don't act like you don't know who I'm talking about! Who the hell is that bouncy redhead?"

"Oh her? She's my other secretary. You said that I give you too much work so I thought you might want some help." She knew he was trying to be a smart ass from the look on his face and the tone of his voice.

"Help? I don't fucking need help."

"No need to get angry Cynthia."

"Oh that's funny. I'm sure you did this for that very reason."

"So you're jealous?"

"What? No!"

"Then why are you mad?"

"I'm not! I know why you are doing this, you just want me to think that you've found someone else so that it tricks me into giving you what you want."

"Or maybe I just found someone else?" She raised her eyebrows. For some reason she wasn't sure if he was being serious.

"You know what? Never mind." She left the room in the same fashion as she came.

Hours later after their run in was proving to be an uneventful night of doing bitch work for Cindy. She was way too smart to be succumbed to standing in the copying room and waiting for hundreds of papers for tomorrow's meeting to be made. She hadn't seen him since the morning and was still angry at his antics.

"You're still here?"

"Mhm." Her curt response conveyed her apparent anger. She was facing the copier with her back to him.

"I didn't startle you did I?"

"Of course not, you couldn't startle me if you tried." His footsteps were her only indicator that he was coming closer.

"Really?" She felt as his fingers trailed down her sides and his hands rested on her waist.

"How about now?"

"No." This wouldn't be the first time they had gotten up close and personal, but she expected that he would stop from the body language she was giving him.

"Why don't you go and play with your little friend."

"She was a temp, I never planned on keeping her around. I just thought it would be fun to bother you." She turned around forcing the hands on her waist to be removed.

"What do you want Neutron?"

"Actually I was going to ask you something...work related."

"And what would that be?" She sighed, the expression on her face blank.

"I'm receiving an award along with a few other business men for being an influential company in today's society..."

"Why are you telling me this? I'm fully aware of how arrogant you are about your accomplishments."

"Well, since you don't approve of that 'bouncy redhead' as you called her earlier, I am left dateless-"

"Oh no. Hell no. I see where you're going with this." She sidestepped to get out of his way but he moved in front of her.

"I know that what I did earlier wasn't the most admirable thing, but I would really like it if you would at least consider going." Cindy bit her lower lip, he sounded sincere and it made her heart flutter to think that he wanted her to accompany him to an event.

"This isn't a good idea." It was her last ditch effort to get him to change his mind. With all the thoughts that had been running through her head lately, she knew that this would only cause her get closer to him and further away from Strych's agenda. Fingers brushed up against her own and she looked down to see Jimmy holding her hand. It was so foreign when he was gentle with her.

"Please." Oh goodness. She knew he was looking at her with those deep blue eyes and if she looked back that it would seal her fate. She chanced a glance up and of course his gaze was on her. He had the most hopeful expression. Put a fork in her, she was done.

"Yes."

She had a date with James Neutron. Shit.

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><p>Two chapters in one week? Whoa. Review please :)<p>

~Dreaming of dance


	13. Trapped

More updates wooo!

I don't own JN

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><p>Cindy had refused for him to pick her up at her apartment and insisted that they meet at the awards ceremony. Once the weight of her acceptance to his invitation hit her she immediately regretted it. This time she had really gone too far. The flirting in the office was mostly harmless, the kiss in the elevator was risky business, but this, this was dangerous territory. The last thing she needed was to spend a romantic hover car ride alone with James Neutron where she could become vulnerable and second guess herself more than she already had. Instead she stood near the steps leading up to the building of the event. She wore a midnight blue strapless gown and left her hair flowing down her back in gentle curls. The blonde couldn't lie to herself and say that she hadn't tried to dress to impress.<p>

"She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies." A deep voice whispered in her ear from behind her. Goosebumps instantly freckled her arms even though it wasn't very cold on that spring evening.

"And all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes." She finished the next line of the poem. "I never pegged you for one to read Lord Byron."

"I'm full of surprises Vortex." A corner of her mouth turned up, so was she, but not all surprises were good ones. The blonde spun around to face him, taking in the image of him in a tuxedo looking the most handsome she had ever seen him. For moments they both were entranced and Cindy wondered if he was about to kiss her. She was the first to break her gaze.

"Guess we should go inside since you made me come here."

"As I recall Vortex I didn't make you do anything, you said yes." He smirked and they were back to their playful banter.

The event was everything that Cindy thought that it would be. The ballroom was immaculately decorated, people were dressed their best, and all of them wanted to talk to the renowned scientist that was her date for the evening. It was almost overwhelming how many people bombarded them and Cindy wondered why she was ever worried about being alone with him. They hadn't been able to say more than two words to each other since they had gotten inside. After Neutron had kindly said that he wouldn't be answering anymore questions for the night he turned to Cindy.

"Sorry about that."

"Poor James and all of his devoted fans."

"It comes with the territory of being a genius." She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on his shoulders. He followed by holding onto her waist.

"For the record you initiated the slow dancing."

"I'd be a damn awful date if I didn't at least oblige you that much." He took the opportunity to lean into her so that there was no longer any space between them. His nose brushed against her cheek before hovering over her ear.

"So you admit that this is a date then."

"I do."

"Does that mean I get to take you home at the end of the night?" She wasn't lost on the innuendo to the question.

"That depends, do you think you're that lucky?"

"And I thought I was the cocky one." A giggle slipped out of her. The lack of space between them made it all the more intimate.

"You should laugh more often." His lips brushed up against her ear and suddenly she was feeling lightheaded and warm all over. It wouldn't take much more persuading to get her to leave this place with him.

"Is that so?"

He pulled back enough to see her face. She had that come hither look in her eyes and a radiant smile gracing her lips.

"You're falling for me." She was startled by the direction and the context that the conversation just went in.

"Excuse me?" For a moment Cynthia thought that she had somehow heard him incorrectly despite their proximity.

"Admit it, you are." Her fight or flight instinct kicked in and she looked for a way out. She glanced around the room seeking some kind of excuse to get away. Instead her eyes locked onto something else that made her heart completely stop. Jimmy noticed that her attention was diverted and turned to see what was in her line of sight.

Cindy heard Jimmy grunt which was enough to shake her out of the deer in the headlights state she was in.

"Great. He's here." Wide green eyes looked at him in question.

"That pompous ignoramus over there is Eustace Strych, owner of Strych Enterprises." She knew who he was all right and she went into full on panic mode when he began to walk over to them.

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><p>Looks like Cindy is in trouble. The poem that is quoted in the chapter is "She walks in beauty" by Lord Byron. Review!<p>

~Dreaming of dance


	14. Cornered

Got another chapter out! I really never planned for this to be an actual story. It started out as a one shot, then just drabbles, now it has a plot. If I had planned it as a story ahead of time it may have more details and backstory so if there are any missing pieces I apologize. Here' chapter 14!

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><p>"James."<p>

"Eustace." Strych looked the startled blonde up and down before giving a devilish smirk.

"And who is this divine creature?" Cindy couldn't do anything but stand in shock as Eustace took her hand and kissed the back of it. Jimmy on the other hand looked like he wanted to strap Eustace to a rocket and send him into deep space.

"Cynthia Vortex meet Eustace Strych."

"What a pleasure to meet you Cynthia." He shot her a sly wink and that was enough to get her to regain her composure. He was pretending that they didn't know each other. For now, she was still in the clear. She smiled politely to keep up the appearances.

"Neutron, I'm sure you would be so kind as to let me share a dance with your lovely date." Cindy felt Jimmy's grasp tighten around her waist and for once was happy to let him have some sort of claim on her.

"I would prefer if you didn't. The ceremony is going to start soon and we should be finding our seats seeing as I will be accepting an award tonight." Cindy forced a smile, hoping that Eustace wouldn't antagonize him further.

"As you wish James. I shall be seeing you around Cynthia..." She watched him walk off and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She saw a server walk by with a tray of champagne glasses ,grabbed one, downed it, and put it back on the tray.

"Are you okay? Strych can be a bit off putting."

"A bit?" She added under her breath.

"I hope he didn't bother you." The last thing she needed was him to be suspicious of her reaction. She interlocked her fingers with his and smiled brightly.

"No, of course not. Let's go sit down."

As Neutron gave his acceptance speech, Cindy could barely pay attention to a word he was saying. How could she have been so stupid to not consider that Strych could have been attending? Now she was sure that she would have a lot of explaining to do. She could feel his slimy green eyes giving her a stare that made her so uncomfortable she couldn't stay still in her chair. The worst part was that Neutron looked so content up on the podium. He looked so carefree while her thoughts were going a mile a minute. She knew she needed to clear her head before he got back or he would surely know that something was amiss with her. While Cindy was sure that Jimmy was still engrossed with his speech she discreetly got up and headed for the balcony.

The cool night air felt refreshing against her face. It was an escape she needed from the crowded ballroom. As she rested her hands on the balcony railing she took in some deep breaths. Her time was limited out there, surely Neutron would soon be finishing up and wonder where she went off to.

"My, my, Cynthia. You've really outdone yourself. I was starting to worry about your abilities but I stand corrected." Cindy turned around to see Eustace had entered the balcony doors and was standing a few feet in front of her.

"I knew that you had your ways of getting what you want, but I didn't think you would sleep with him."

"I didn't! What the hell do I look like?" She was appalled that he thought she would stoop so low.

"If you haven't then you must be planning to. What other reason would you be his date? Why else would you be all over him and hanging onto his every word? Unless I'm completely wrong and you actually like him?" Her golden eyebrows shot up her forehead.

"No I-."

"Because then it would be such a pity to have to break his heart along with your own." Cindy was silent. Deep down she knew it to be true but she had refused to acknowledge it. All this time she thought that if it was never said, then it couldn't be possible. She hadn't wanted to admit that she had romantic feelings for James Neutron because she knew inevitably that she would hurt him. Allowing herself to reciprocate his feelings would make herself collateral damage when she betrayed him. She couldn't let Eustace believe that she had gotten her feelings involved in the matter, there was just too much at stake.

"No, You're right, I thought if I got closer to him then he would trust me."

"Perfect. He'll be eating out of your hand in no time."He turned to leave her but not before saying over his shoulder one more task he wanted her to complete. "And Cynthia?"

"Yeah?"

"Hurry up and have sex with him already. My patience is wearing thin."

After Cindy saw Eustace close the balcony's double doors she leaned her elbows on the railing and rubbed her temples. She wouldn't go through with it. Sure, when she had first met James Neutron she though he was an arrogant showoff, but then he began to grow on her and they began this twisted relationship. Now, she knew how kind and gentle he could be and that although he was cocky he always used his inventions to help mankind. He as a good man. Since when did she have such a strong conscience?

"You disappeared. Are you sure you're okay?" There he was, showing concern for her and making her life ten times harder than it already was.

"Why do you like me?" She felt something slip onto her shoulders and noticed that it was his suit jacket. Instead of warming her heart it infuriated her. She whipped herself around.

"Why the hell do you like me? You know absolutely nothing about me and yet here you are taking me to a fancy event and doing chivalrous things like whispering poems in my ear and giving me your jacket! You're so annoying!"

"Most women wish that a guy would do gestures like that for them."

"Well, I'm not most women! I'm a bitch! A straight up, tell you how it is, don't care if I hurt your feelings bitch! I don't do the whole fairy tale romance bullshit!

"I know. That's why I like you."

"Excuse me? Did you not hear what I just said?" Jimmy sighed and put his hands on both sides of her face.

"I like you because of those things. You're intelligent, driven, and don't take my any of my crap. You challenge me and don't care if something you say offends me. I like that you're not easily impressed. It also helps that you're beautiful, but that's beside the point." He grinned at his side comment which caused her to give an exasperated sigh.

"Trust me. You don't want to get involved with me."

"Don't try to tell me what I want Vortex."

"You're so stubborn." She gave into defeat, consider himself warned.

"May I kiss you now."

"After all that you're asking my permission?"

"I'm taking that as a yes."

"I hate you." With that he leaned in and sealed their lips together. Despite it all, Cindy found herself leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his neck. They spent the rest of the evening kissing passionately on that balcony, damn the consequences that it would have later.

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><p>What a tangled web. Review!<p>

~Dreaming of dance


	15. Spill

I'm back AND I GRADUATED COLLEGE!

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><p>It had been about a week since that damned ceremony where they had run into Strych and Cindy couldn't be further from meeting his demands. She had been occupied with other things like sneaking around with Neutron. They hadn't gone on any public dates but Cindy liked it this way. The less public they were the less people got involved. Their meet ups consisted mostly of getting late night, more like early morning, coffee. An example would like right now where it was past midnight and they had yet to leave his office.<p>

"You know we could go somewhere else. Anywhere else really, a restaurant, my place, even outer space if you'd like." Jimmy suggested as he took a drink from his coffee cup.

"Why what's wrong with here? I find it very convenient and efficient." Cindy retorted.

"And the only place we ever see each other."

"Why would you need to see me anywhere else? Theres nothing we can't do here that we could do somewhere else. Besides, it upholds professionalism." James rolled his eyes in aggravation.

"Professionalism. Right."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cindy snapped while forcefully placing her coffee cup on the desk where they sat.

"Seriously Vortex?"

"What?"

"Everyone knows."

"First off, who's everyone? Second, what do they know?" For a second she was starting to get nervous that he was on to her, but then again, she had been on edge lately.

"The whole office is aware that there's something going on between us. I hear they are even making bets on when we go public."

"Sucks to be them then because they're all going to lose that one." It came out more harshly than she had meant and Cindy could tell that it had hit hard by the crestfallen look on Neutron's face.

"I didn't mean it like that." He didn't appear to moved by her attempt to take back what she had said.

"Jimmy, I swear it's not the way I made it sound."

"If it wasn't then it wouldn't be so hard for you to give this a chance." She turned her face away from him and groaned in defeat. It wasn't that she didn't want to but she was trying to convince herself that she wasn't heartless enough to hurt him for a means to an end.

"This was easier when I thought you just wanted to screw me."

"You're really good at insulting my character Vortex."

"And yet I can't seem to shake you." For a few moments they were at a standstill until Jimmy leaned in closer and placed a hand tentatively on her knee.

"I do think about it though..."

"Think about what?"

"The 'screwing' you speak of."

"Oh?" The more he leaned into her the quieter his voice became.

"Trust me Vortex, you're lucky that I have the restraint I do."

"You call your actions so far restraint? I'm curious to know what you're like when you're not holding back." She wasn't necessarily trying to test him, but it was always fun to get in a jab anywhere she could. Cindy expected him to retort with some witty comeback about how they should go back to his place and he could show her, but instead she felt his lips next to her ear. The words were so quiet that she almost thought she had imagined them, but she didn't imagine the sudden rush of heat the spread through her body. She was so shocked and caught off guard that her foot involuntarily kicked the desk, causing her coffee to tip over spilling all over her skirt and legs. Immediately she fumbled around grabbing a near by napkin and trying to clean up the mess.

In her frenzy Jimmy grabbed her arm, stilling her movements. She stared at him blankly not sure what to do with herself. She felt completely frazzled and embarrassed. She saw him get down on his knee looking as if he was going to help wipe off the coffee still dripping off of her. A trickle of coffee ran down her thigh, and she was about to question Neutron but was instantly silenced. It was sensual, slow, and dangerously close to the hem of her skirt. Her eyes fluttered closed, her head tilted back, and she felt something so raw and pleasurable overcome her. She couldn't help the tiny moan that found its way out of her mouth. Yes, James Neutron was licking coffee off of her skin. Perfectly hinting to the naughty words he had previously whispered in her ear.

She glanced down with slightly glossy eyes to see him sucking on her inner thigh. On their own accord her hands instinctively started traveling to his hair and then she snapped back to reality. She jumped up as if had touched fire. Cindy panted harshly while her eyes went wide.

" I-um-I think- I-should go home. Y-yes home and shower." She quickly grabbed her purse and bolted.

"Better make it a cold one!" Jimmy teased after her.

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><p>So things are starting to get steamy ;) I need opinion please on if you guys want a full blown sex scene, a mildly descriptive scene, or one that just hints to intimacy. Thank you for the patience!<p>

~Dreaming of dance


	16. Snooze

Two chapters in two days! I feel badly for being on such a long hiatus so I'm trying to expedite the chapters. Also, I may be changing my pen pal/username soon. I chose Dreaming of dance so long ago and I don't really like it anymore. Anyway, here's the chapter!

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><p>"Can you please try to focus?" She didn't know how this became a part of her job description, but she was forcing him to go through legal documents.<p>

"Can't you forge my signature, I don't have time for this." She rolled her eyes.

"If you're going to invent things that are potentially dangerous if misused, then you need to sign these so you don't get sued. So suck it up. I don't care how boring it is." He glanced at the large packet of paper on his desk from his lawyer and pushed it further away from him.

"I'll do it later."

"No you won't." He ignored her and continued to keep his full attention on the computer screen in front of him. What was he so busy with anyway? He hadn't even tried to flirt with her when she walked into the room and he hadn't seen her in a couple of days. Whenever he was inventing something new he was down in the basement of the building where the lab was. He would spend days and nights on end in there until he was done.

"What is it that you have been working on so much lately?"

"You'll see."

She pulled up a chair next to him and picked up the document. When she got a look at what was on his screen and narrowed her eyes.

"You're playing solitaire? Is that really what you do when you're up here?"

"I'm tired, I didn't sleep last night. My brain needs a break." The dark circles under his eyes showed his fatigue. Cindy still found him attractive though even when he was exhausted.

"The sooner you do this the sooner you can go home and go to sleep." He didn't respond again and continued his game on the computer. What was she going to have to do to get him to give her his attention long enough to sign the documents? Well, she did know one thing that always got a man's attention. He was so zoned into the effortless game of solitaire for his genius mind that he didn't notice what she was doing. Cindy cleared her throat and spoke.

"If you hurry up and sign these then maybe_ we _ can get out of here." Jimmy turned around at the seductive undertone of her voice and his eyes widened. She had unbuttoned the top half of her blouse, revealing the lacy black push up bra that she wore underneath. He stared at the sexy garment and the ample amount of cleavage that came out of it.

"No? Not interested? Maybe another time." Cindy started to reach for the buttons on her shirt.

"Give me a minute." He grabbed the packet off of his desk and profusely started to read through it. As he scribbled his signature Cindy smirked and leaned back in the chair.

"That was a lot easier than I thought. You men are so easily manipulated."

"You're flaunting your chest in my face. Not exactly a smart tactic."

"Why not? It worked."

"Because..." He signed his name one last time and swiveled his chair to face her. "I'm done, and now you have to hold up your end of the bargain."

"What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Don't try to get your way out of this one, you said-"

"I say a lot of things." She smiled deviously and stood up.

"You're not getting away from me this time."

"What are you gonna do? Chase me?"

"If I have to, it would be better if you cooperated though."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and started to walk towards the door. He went after her and took her by the wrist. She turned around at the action.

"Cut it out." She said as she pushed him playfully with her available arm.

"Not a chance." Cindy took a few steps back, Jimmy followed her every move without losing his grip. She tried pulling away from him but he had a strong hold on her. Even though she was fighting him, part of her really wanted him to not let go. She tugged really hard one more time which caused her to lose her balance and sent them both flying backwards. They landed on the floor with Jimmy on top of Cindy, pinning her underneath him. He expected her to yell at him to get off of her but instead she burst into giggles.

"Well, you got me, so now what are you going to do?" He gave her sly look before kissing her on her neck. Now that she was trapped he had the advantage. For once Cindy just closed her eyes contently and let it happen. A minute or so passed while she had her eyes closed and she realized that she didn't feel him kissing her any longer. She opened her eyes and looked down curiously to see what the hold up was.

"You have got to be kidding me." He was fast asleep against her chest.

"Great, now what?" She said to him even though she knew he couldn't hear her. She sighed in defeat, now not only was she left to be sexually frustrated, she was trapped under Neutron, who was soundly asleep.

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><p>Reviews are always welcome!<p>

~Dreaming of dance (for now)


	17. Demands

Got a chapter done :) It's a shorter one but was necessary for the plot.

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><p>It was dark and quiet; that point in the night where everything and everyone seem to be asleep. Everyone except Cindy Vortex of course. She had just left the building that her office occupied with the idea of getting a couple hours of sleep. At this point she didn't see why she shouldn't just start sleeping there. That's what Neutron had been doing lately. He had been so preoccupied with whatever it was that he was working on. She was sure that he hadn't left the building in at least a week.<p>

When she finally arrived at her apartment she unceremoniously dropped her purse on the floor and kicked off her heels without even turning on the lights. Her plan of action was to strip off her clothes and crawl into bed until her alarm forced her awake.

"Late night?" Cindy jumped and nearly had a heart attack at the male voice that emerged. She was about to take a fighting stance perfected from years of martial arts training until her eyes adjusted to the lack of light and she recognized who she was dealing with.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"We need to have a little chat Cynthia." Eustace Strych lounged on Cindy's couch in an impossibly unwrinkled Burgundy suit and not a hair out of place. How long he had been waiting for her? She couldn't tell.

"A phone call would have sufficed."

"I don't believe it would have."

"Well, what is it? I'm exhausted."

"I do not believe you are in the position to have that kind of tone with me." He stood up from where he sat and began to walk toward her until they were face to face.

"What may I do for you Eustace?" She forced out in the most polite voice she could manage.

"Times up. You've kept me waiting for far too long and I'm done being nice."

"I told you that as soon as I knew-"

"No more excuses. I think you're forgetting how much you have at stake here dear Cynthia; or do you not recall the debt that you owe me?"

"Look, he's been working on something big. He won't tell me what it is and no one else has any idea either."

"Find out."

"I'm trying but-" He grabbed her chin and lowered his face to her's. She could feel the pungent cologne choking her.

"One week. You have one week or I might have to arrange a little 'accident'." She knew what Eustace's money was capable of getting done. She had seen it before. Cindy nodded and began to rub her chin when he released her. He saw himself out and Cindy didn't even spare a glance when he slammed the door shut.

One week. One week until everything imploded.

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><p>Reviews are kindly welcomed :)<p>

~Dreaming of dance


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